


11th hour Christmas

by ani_bester



Category: Avengers (Comic), Captain America, Marvel, Marvel 616
Genre: Christmas, Crossdressing, Fluff, Multi, Other, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-06
Updated: 2011-08-06
Packaged: 2017-10-22 07:13:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/235292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ani_bester/pseuds/ani_bester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Friends and lovers sneak in a Christmas gift exchange between the chaos that comes with being a Marvel Superhero, and Bucky finds out everyone knows him better than he thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	11th hour Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gloss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gloss/gifts).



Ten minutes after the time, Steve, Sam, Bucky, Sharon and Natasha had promised Toro, Ann, and Jim they'd all stop by and actually sit down for Christmas, Natasha, Sam, and Bucky staggered in - all still in costume.- demanding drinks. What they'd gotten was civilian clothes and a push toward rooms to change in.

"So how do we want to do this?" Sam asked, emerging from the back room still pulling a navy sweater over his head.

"No plan yet," Sharon answered as she tossed a gift in her hands. She scooted a little closer to Steve, making room for Sam to sit in the circle they'd formed in front of the Christmas tree. Sam sat and accepted the eggnog passed his way, as well as the kiss that Steve leaned over to give.

Sitting next to Sam, Bucky eagerly gathered his presents closer, picking one small one and shaking. "So how are we doing this?" he repeated. "Because I'd like to get started!"

Sharon glanced to Sam and Sam glanced over at Steve, who shrugged, causing the green Christmas tree on his sweater to move oddly. "How about youngest to oldest?" he suggested as he wrapped an arm around Sharon. "That's traditional, right, though I guess that makes me last."

Bucky smirked at Steve from across the circle of intimate friends. "You like the anticipation, pal, don't even pretend like you haven't always maneuver these things so you go last."

Steve cleared his throat a little and looked to Sharon on his left. She shook her head, as she re-did her ponytail. "Don't look to me for help, mister; Bucky's got you dead to rights. All your 'ladies first' posturing was so you could go last."

"Siding with Sharon and Buck," Sam said before Steve could even look to him.

Folding his arms across his chest, Steve made one last attempt, casting a pleading look in the direction of Jim and Toro.

"I don't think I'm aware enough of the nuances of human affect to be a judge," Jim answered. However, he was grinning from ear to ear and as he took a sip of still steaming apple cider it was clear he was struggling not to laugh.

Toro gave Steve a helpless look. "You told me to stop arguing with Bucky."

"Ordered you actually," Bucky laughed.

"In 1944!" Steve protested.

"Now here is a story I don't believe I've heard," Ann said, rubbing her husband's hair affectionately. "I take it falls under the "Bucky and I fought at lot about anything" category of tales.

"Very much so," Jim said with a short laugh that was shared by Steve.

After a moment in which the whole group looked at Steve in expectant silence, Steve held up his hands in defeat. "Well fine, I like the anticipation of going last, is everyone happy?"

"First step is admission," Bucky said before gulping down his own cider. He blew Steve a kiss when Steve gave him a grumpy look.

"I hate to say this and disappoint you, Steve," Natasha said with a gleam of mischief in her eyes. "But you're only older than me if we count years on ice, and I don't see why we should." Natasha eyed the gathered group with one raised eyebrow as she pushed some strands of red hair back into place. "Well?"

"You are arguing over being the oldest?" Sharon asked, grinning at her fellow Secret Avenger.

Natasha shrugged. "I made it through all these decades without being frozen, asleep, or totally dead. I want credit for that, even if it means opening last. Besides I look good for my age. So I ask again, how are we figuring "oldest"?"

Beside Steve, Sam shook his head in mock sorrow. "You know, it's sad that a simple 'youngest to oldest' becomes a debate. How weird does that make out lives?"

Steve took a drink of his cider and shook his own head. "Do you want list that's alphabetical or be date?"

"Alphabetically by event," Sam answered with a laugh. "Dates will make me feel old."

Across from Steve, Jim cleared his throat. "Presents? Before it becomes the day after Christmas, rather than Christmas."

"Because at midnight, they'll disappear," Bucky quipped, earning himself an elbow in the gut from both Sharon and Natasha.

"All right, All right," Bucky yelped. "So then, not counting years not aware of the world, I guess that makes the order Toro, Me, Sharon, Sam, Jim, Steve, Ann, and finally Nat."

"Whoa," Toro said, leaning forward to protest. "Who says I'm youngest now?"

Bucky eyed his friend. "How about the born after Bucky part? Do the math."

"The math in which I was alive from 1927 to 1971, plus this year?" Toro shook his head. "Uh uh, Bucky no way are you older than 45."

Bucky gave Toro a sharp look. "You are not 45," he countered.

"Horton cells slow his aging," Jim and Ann answered at once.

Natasha gave Bucky a small, and utterly fake, pout. "Stop arguing," she insisted. "Some of us would like to get to our gifts before another 90 years passes by"

Bucky took his gift and gave a sheepish look to Steve. "Not even you've got my back on this, brother?"

"Open a gift Mr. Barnes," she said as she kissed his cheek.

Bucky set his now empty glass down, resting it against the couch he was leaning against. "Don't gotta ask me twice," he said as he looked over the nine gifts in front of him. He picked out a rectangular box wrapped in gold with a red and green ribbon tied around it. The tag, embellished with a snowman, read "To: Bucky From: Everyone."

"This has me curious," he commented as he tossed the ribbon aside and ripped through the shining metallic like paper. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ann retrieve the ribbon, but he didn't have much time to think about that. He had the inner box to get through. He snap the masking tape that held the lid to the body of the box ad shook the cover to separate the two parts. Moving the white tissue paper to the side, Bucky gasped when he saw the green silk that lay beneath. Carefully lifting the garment out, he held up a long green evening dress with matching gloves for the group's inspection.

"Ok, I know this said from everyone but-"he turned and looked pointedly at Steve, but Steve was shaking his head.

"It's from everyone because it is. Sam had the idea, I remembered a specific dress you'd always liked, Tom and Ann found the pattern and made it, while Nat got your measurements –"

"Without you noticing I might add," Natasha said, gazing out Bucky from over the rim of her mug of hot chocolate.

"Right," Steve said as everyone laughed, "And Jim provided most of the funds."

Bucky held the dress against his chest and beamed at them all. "Thanks, thanks a lot."


End file.
